NOTE TO THE KAPPAN: ILLINOIS STATE SCHOOL UNDERFUNDING UNDERMINES EQUITY, NOT TEACHER PENSIONS.
The latest issue of the education magazine, The Kappan, addresses education funding inequality.
One article blames teacher pensions.
Why not blame teachers and our pensions for public school underfunding?
The authors , James V. Shuls, Collin Hitt and Robert M. Costrell, try to make the case that Illinois’ teacher pensions are responsible for the funding inequality in our state.
Their footnotes suggest they rely heavily on the Illinois Policy Institute and Bellweather Education Partners as sources.
Both outfits are known for the contempt with which they consider our contractual retirement benefits.
Illinois is at the bottom of most lists of states ranked on the the basis of state funding for education. It is also at the bottom of the list of states ranked on the basis of state funding of our teacher pension.
How then is it possible that state pension funding is responsible for inequitable school funding when both are underfunded?
The answer is that it is not.
The central issue for inequality in Illinois school funding is the racism inherent in a school funding system based on local taxes. Poor districts have less money for schools. A recent Illinois school funding bill did little to fundamentally change the lack of CONTINUE READING: Note to the Kappan: Illinois state school underfunding undermines equity, not teacher pensions. – Fred Klonsky